Formulated around a radial plan, Passmores Academy
was built with a heartspace of communal areas at the centre, with adjoining faculty
wings radiating outwards.

Client Essex County Council

Location Essex, UK

Status Built

Awards

2011 World Architecture Award Finalist

Passmores Academy, completed in
2011 for Essex County Council, accommodates 1,200 students in six learning
areas. Formulated around a radial plan, it was built with a communal gathering
area or ‘heartspace’ at the centre, which comprises the assembly hall, dining,
library and inclusion faculties, from which the rest of the school and
adjoining faculty wings radiate outwards. The heartspace design enables passive
supervision throughout the school, which has had a marked impact on student behaviour,
and provides a centralised zone for interaction and engagement.

The ‘inclusion faculty’ in the heartspace
provides learning and support to all at the academy. Built around a circular
model, with rooms for mentors and academic coaches arranged around a rotund
break-out area, the inclusion faculty is placed at the centre of the school.
This ensures that pastoral support is accessible and visible to all, and being
elevated allows for a calm, harmonious environment for talking and learning.

The naturally-ventilated building uses biomass boilers as part of its heat source, and incorporates night-time cooling and a brown roof. Both sustainable and contextual, the building is clad predominantly in timber.

The scheme was classed by the Essex Design Initiative as an ‘Exemplar’ project. Passmores was recognised by Ofsted as ‘Outstanding’ and by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust as within the top 100 performing specialist schools, and in the top 1% of all schools nationally for value added.

'You have produced a stunning design. Thank you for taking the time to get to know us and for delivering something we can all be proud of.'